Following on from my post earlier in the week on Andy Griffiths’ memories of Struwwelpeter, it has been interesting for me to think about whether sometimes we might consciously or subconsciously protect children from books that we think are scary or gross in some way. And how an adult sense of humour and sensitivity to these things is different from that of a little person.
Not nearly as gruesome as Struwwelpeter but still somewhat ‘frank’ are two wordless Pamela Allen books Rowan is loving at the moment: Simon Did and Watch Me. He started to read these at Nanou’s house and has borrowed them to read over and over at home. (Unfortunately both are now out of print, but could still be available at libraries.)
In Simon Did, Simon is at the zoo, where he boldly disobeys the sign that reads ‘DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS’. Some unfortunate consequences ensue including, in the end, Simon being swallowed himself. Rowan loves reciting the words of the sign, and doesn’t seem at all perturbed by the messy ending for Simon.
In Watch Me, each page of the story pictures a little boy doing a trick on his bike – no hands, standing on one foot, etc – as he rides faster and faster down the hill. He hits a stone, and comes tumbling over the handlebars, and the closing page shows him in tears with a serious bump on his head. Being wordless, the illustrations are central to the meaning, and the bike’s increasing speed is cleverly shown by the steepness of the hill and by the ears of his companion dog which fly back at an increasing rate. It’s no coincidence that ‘Watch me, Mama!’ has recently become part of Rowan’s vocabulary in daily use…
No happy ending in either of these books – in fact you might even imagine they could induce some nightmares – yet Rowan loves them. Any other gruesome or miserable endings in books you’re surprised little people are enjoying?
My kids – who are older, at 8 & 5 – adore Hillaire Belloc’s “Cautionary Tales” with such cheery titles as “Matilda, who told lies and was burned to death” and “Jim who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion”.
I also remember pouring over “Coles’ funny picture book” as a young child and being fascinated and terrified simultaneously.
My son has the book about the the Mole with the poo on his head .. and he goes through the book trying to find out who dumped on his head.
My mother bought it for him. It makes me cringe.
But he loves it.
Gah !